Falguni Nayar is the founder and CEO of Nykaa, a leading beauty and lifestyle retail company in India. With her entrepreneurial spirit and strategic vision, she has guided the company to a successful IPO and a valuation of $13 billion, making her the wealthiest self-made Indian woman and one of the two self-made female Indian billionaires.
Who is the CEO of Nykaa?
Falguni Nayar, a former investment banker, is the founder and CEO of Nykaa, a leading beauty and lifestyle retail company in India. Nayar began her career in 1993 with the Kotak Mahindra Group, where she led the mergers and acquisitions team and later opened institutional equities offices in London and New York City. In 2005, she became the managing director of Kotak Mahindra Capital and director of Kotak Securities.
Nayar left Kotak Mahindra in 2012 to start Nykaa with $2 million of her own money. Under her leadership, Nykaa has grown into a comprehensive beauty destination, offering over 1.2 lakh products from more than 1900 brands. Nayar's achievements include being listed as one of Asia's Power Businesswomen by Forbes Asia and being named 'Business Person of the Year' by Vogue India.
Work History
- A F Ferguson & Co: Manager (1985-1993)
- Kotak Securities: Head of International Business (1994-1997)
- Kotak Securities: Head of International Business (1997-2001)
- Kotak Securities: Director and Head of Institutional Equities Business (2001-2007)
- Kotak Investment Banking: Managing Director (2007-2012)
- Nykaa.com: Founder and CEO (2012-present)
Education History
Falguni Nayar's educational journey began at Sydenham College, where she earned a Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.) degree in Accounting and Business/Management from 1980 to 1983. After completing her undergraduate studies, Nayar pursued a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) in Finance, General at the prestigious Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad from 1983 to 1985. This strong educational foundation in finance and business management played a crucial role in shaping her successful career in investment banking and entrepreneurship.
When did Falguni Nayar join Nykaa?
Falguni Nayar founded Nykaa in April 2012 and has been serving as its CEO since the company's inception. As of now, she has been leading the company for nearly a decade, successfully transforming it into a comprehensive beauty destination and achieving a remarkable valuation of $13 billion.